This invention relates generally to the field of stringing tennis racquets and more specifically to an apparatus that overlaps and lays strings in place within a frame of a racquet before or during the final process of applying pressure to the strings on a stringing machine.
Upon research on the subject in the USPTO website for revelant prior information on the topic, I was not able to cite a prior patent number or idea; as a result, I am including my background experience as a starting point of reference.
Tennis racquets have been stringed by hand since I can remember. I recall when I was a small boy and that was 48 years ago, that racquets were made of bamboo, wood and that they were strung by hand. I remember that the strings were push in thru one of the openings in one side of the racquet and taken out of the racquet on the other side of the frame. The stringing process was 100 percent manual and the mistakes made in the process were the responsibility of the operators only.
The stringing process or work done on a racquet is performed usually by a person who has experience in the stringing art. The overpass or overlaying of the strings between them within the frame of a racquet is done by hand right now, and maybe it will still be done by hand even after this patent invention is presented to the patent office, by the writer of this paper. The person in charge of stringing racquets, usually has to lift or pushed aside a little bit the string that is in that place, in that specific spot on the racquet, as a way to make space for the other string that is coming through out on the other route, so that the overlaying or overpass process between the strings can take place.
Usually all the vertical strings are push first, then all the horizontal string are push later; then the overlaying process between vertical and horizontal strings is done by hand, one at a time by the operator o person in charge of the stringing process. Each union or intersection between the vertical and horizontal strings are done one by one by hand, a process that is time consuming and sometimes very stressful to the operator.
The old process it is manually in its totality, it is time consuming and mistakes are made and a learning curve is involved for the process. The operator relies mostly in the use of its hands for the overpass or overlying process between the strings. The process usually was made at the stringing machine were the final pressure to the strings was deliver to the strings.
The Stringing Sandwich, with a predetermined route constructed of a geometric shape or figure offers the opportunity to overlie the strings without the need of touch the strings with the hands between them, because of a predetermined geometric pattern that has the capability to overlie the strings between them. The process is now made simpler, convenient and very appealing to the user; usually a very simple hand movement will do the trick to get the process started and finished.
The article of manufacture is portable and the process for its use can be done at any location, even including the final destination were racquets are taken to be strung, the Pro-Shop were the stringing pressure machine is present.